1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biological-tissue joining apparatus.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 2007-150684, 2009-248163, and 2009-258169 the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there is a known joining apparatus that joins biological tissue by clamping a stacked pair of pieces of biological tissue and applying ultrasonic energy (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. HEI-11-104143). Moreover, there is a known ultrasonic incising apparatus that is capable of carrying out clotting, cutting, and hemostasis of biological tissue for surgery, such as abdominal surgery or endoscopic surgery, at a temperature lower than an electrosurgical knife and capable of simultaneously carrying out hemostasis and incising (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2001-54523).
Moreover, there is a known apparatus that administers biological material, such as a biological adhesive, for carrying out surgical procedures, such as hemostasis, joining and sealing of tissue, during abdominal surgery or endoscopic surgery (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication Nos. 2003-235977 and 2006-110357).
Although, biological tissue can be joined with the joining apparatus in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. HEI-11-104143 by merely clamping and supplying ultrasonic energy to the biological tissue, in some cases, it may be difficult to maintain a stable joined state of the joined biological tissue because a sufficient joining force is not obtained due to individual differences of the biological tissue, or the flexibility may decrease because of hardening of the biological tissue after joining.
With the apparatus in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2001-54523, the sites that can be cut may be limited to small sites with a small vascular diameter since efficient hemostasis cannot be carried out because temperature rises only locally with clotting by ultrasound.
Furthermore, such as in Japanese Unexamined Patent Applications, Publication Nos. 2003-235977 and 2006-110357, immediate treatment may not be carried out because curing of the adhesive in the joining area takes time when a biological adhesive is merely applied.
When the operation of bonding a joining site is carried out repeatedly by applying an adhesive, in some cases, the adhesive gradually cures inside a supply channel, and thus a sufficient amount of adhesive cannot be applied.
When a joining site is bonded by applying an adhesive, in some cases, tissue other than the target tissue may be bonded because the adhesive spatters, is applied excessively, and/or remains uncured when the adhesive is a two-component mixing type.